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No further suspension for Cabrera in Biogenesis case

By
Gregor ChisholmMLB.com

Melky Cabrera will not face further discipline from Major League Baseball for his involvement in the Biogenesis investigation.

MLB on Monday suspended 13 players as a result of the league's Biogenesis investigation. Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez received the stiffest penalty - a 211-game ban without pay through the end of the 2014 regular season. Rodriguez, 38, has appealed the suspension, which is to begin Thursday. His case will be heard by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz. Rodriguez's discipline, MLB said in its written announcement, is based on his use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone and human growth hormone, over the course of multiple years. Rodriguez's discipline under the basic agreement is for attempting to cover up his violations of the program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to "obstruct and frustrate" the investigation.

Melky Cabrera will not face further discipline from Major League Baseball for his involvement in the Biogenesis investigation.

MLB on Monday suspended 13 players as a result of the league's Biogenesis investigation. Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez received the stiffest penalty - a 211-game ban without pay through the end of the 2014 regular season. Rodriguez, 38, has appealed the suspension, which is to begin Thursday. His case will be heard by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz. Rodriguez's discipline, MLB said in its written announcement, is based on his use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone and human growth hormone, over the course of multiple years. Rodriguez's discipline under the basic agreement is for attempting to cover up his violations of the program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to "obstruct and frustrate" the investigation.

Cabrera was suspended for 50 games last season while playing for San Francisco after he tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone. Along with Oakland's Bartolo Colon and San Diego's Yasmani Grandal, Cabrera was not further punished because all three players had been previously suspended for violations stemming from their connections to Biogenesis.

The release by MLB confirmed what the Blue Jays have been saying since the news about the anti-aging clinic first leaked in Spring Training. General manager Alex Anthopoulos said at the time he did not believe Cabrera was at risk of having to serve another suspension because he had already served time.

"We didn't expect anything would happen, but we didn't know for sure," manager John Gibbons said. "We were pretty much by it anyway. He served his time, just like these guys will."

Cabrera is on the 15-day disabled list with a left knee injury, and a timetable for his return to the Blue Jays' lineup remains uncertain. He is hitting .279 with three homers and 30 RBIs in 88 games this season.